Obscure Reality
by mikamisako23
Summary: Mikia is a skilled solo player in the death game known as Sword Art Online. Kirito is a beater, known as the legendary Black Swordsman. What happens when these two lonely souls meet? (Full Summary Inside, first SAO fan fic) Kirito X OC, Kirito X Asuna (eventually). Please read and review, I'd love to hear what you guys think!
1. Chapter 1: Silver Light

**Hello, people! This is my first ever SAO fan fic, and it would mean a lot to me if you could review, follow or favourite it! I'll be updating weekly, every sunday probably.**

**The pairings of this fic are KiritoXOC, and in the later chapters, he'll get with Asuna. So, anyway, I hope you enjoy this fan fic, and please tell me what you thought in a review!**

_**Disclaimer: I don't own SAO, only my OC Mikia.**_

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><p><em><strong>Mikia is a skilled solo player in the death game known as Sword Art Online. Kirito is a beater, known as the legendary Black Swordsman. Both of these players are lonely fighters on the front lines. Both of them crave company, and battle fiercely to beat this death game and free everyone living inside Aincrad. What happens when these two lonely souls meet? What will transpire between them?<strong>_

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><p><span><strong>Chapter One: *Silver Light*<strong>

"Hyahh!" My sword cuts through the creature in front of me, blasting it into a thousand million little blue polygons. I exhale, and suck in another gulp of air before twisting around and slicing through another creature. I kill around 7 of these mid level critters before they stop spawning, having completed the side quest I was on, and I receive a fall out of prizes from my battle: the usual basic weapons, armour, and one very special item.

A random drop item.

I blink, shocked. These items are rare since they can be dropped at any quest, no matter how rare or common the quest. But I never thought I would actually find one. I use the index finger and my middle finger on my right hand to swipe down in the air next to me, bringing up my control launcher. I search for the drop item and find it.

_*Silver Light*_ I read it's name to be. It's a sword, and quite a good one at that. But I decide to get it checked out properly when I get out of these dungeons. Saying that, I head out of the dungeons quickly, disposing of any threats as I go. I end up on floor 50, and start to walk to a sword expert.

.

My name (in the real world, I mean) is Maika Kaito, my avatar's name being Mikia. A year ago, I logged into the VRMMORPG Sword Art Online, eager to try out the 'full dive'. It should of been the best day of my gaming life.

And then we found out that we couldn't leave it. That if our HP ran out here in the game, we'd die. Actually die. In real life.

This was a death game.

As you'd expect, there was mass hysteria. Many people refused to move from the Town Of Beginnings, on the first floor. Others denied what Kayaba told us to be the truth. They clamined he was lying. We could actually die if we died here! That was insanity! So they sat around and waited for rescue.

Not me, though. I could not stand by like a coward, letting others fight my battles for me. So I became a solo player, determined to clear this game as fast as I could. Not for my own sake, though. For everyone else's.

We're on floor 66 at the moment, waiting to clear floor 67. My level is 79.

And I will not lose.

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><p>I walk into Agil's shop without knocking, crossing the threshold easily, my long bangs hitting over my eyes. My hair is cut short, angled to be longer at the front and short at the back with a long, full fringe. It's coloured a pale bubble gum pink, and my eyes are wide and vibrantly green. I'm only 5'2, but I don't let my short stature let others intimidate me. My outfit is not too showy, a tight fitting blue sleeveless top with a diamond cut out in between the neck and bust, a short darker blue skirt, knee high pale blue leggingssocks, brown, battered ankle boots and leather wrist guards going up to my elbows.

Agil, a truly massive dark skinned player, glances up from behind his desk. He smiles brightly upon seeing me.

"Mika-san!" He greets me with a large grin, his teeth shining. I roll my eyes and lean up against the counter, folding my arms onto the smooth polished wood.

"I thought I told you to call me Mika, no honorifics." I sigh. "Remember, I count you as a friend, and that's why you're allowed to use my nick name, Agil."

"Fine, Mika." He says easily. "What can I do for you today?"

"Check this weapon?" I ask, bringing up my control launcher and materialising the sword from the drop earlier. It lands in my outstretched hands, heavier than I expected. I adjust my grip, curling my fingers atoung the object. The handle is long enough for me to grip it with both hands, the blade long and thin, but thick enough to still carry a lot power and not to snap on the first hit. The blade is coloured a pale icy blue, and the handle is pure silver. Agil takes it from me and appraises it while I wait.

"That's one nice sword, Agil." A male voice says from behind me. The voice walks up to the counter and stands next to me, resting his elbows against the counter. I glance at him out of the corner of my eye, my long lashes scraping my cheekbones. His jet black hair is scruffy, and he's dressed all in black, a long coat billowing out around his elbows. But his stark black eyes strike me the most as they look into mine, questioningly.

.

"Oh, this?" Agil waves around _*Silver Light*._ "This here is Mika- I mean, Mikia's sword." He corrects himself, knowing I will not like it if this person thinks my name's Mika.

"Hi." The guy smiles. He sticks out a hand for me to shake. "I'm Kirito."

"The Black Swordsman." I acknowledge, raising an elegant eyebrow. What is a solo player of his standard doing here? I've seen him in action, in the boss fights, and he is truly magnificent. Like a demon possessed, he always tries to kill the boss without any player loss. And here I am, meeting him in Agil's place, of all places.

"You've heard of me." He grimaces. "Of course, my reputation proceeds me." I nod.

"I've seen you in the Boss battles." I explain.

"You're part of the floor cleaners? What guild?" The guy, Kirito, asks interestedly.

"Solo player." I shrug. "I'm Mikia, by the way."

"Hello then, Mikia-san." Kirito smiles. "What's a girl like you doing in a place like Agil's?"

"Hey!" Agil protests. I can't help but smile.

"Unfortunately, he's a friend, and one of the best evaluators I know. And I need him to appraise this sword." I give Agil a meaningful look.

"Oh, yeah!" Agil fumbles around, bringing up the weapon's stats. He quickly reads them to me, whistling softly. "Mika, you've found a really powerful sword here." He hands it back to me. I grasp it in one hand, weighing it. Kirito backs up so I can swish it around a bit.

I take a deep breath and then launch into a series of parries, blocks and strikes. When I'm done, I put the sword back into my inventory, grinning widely. This sword fits me like a glove.

"Is is good?" Agil asks eagerly.

"Brilliant." I nod. "I'll need to try it out, though."

"So, Mikia, you want to test it out for a little bit tomorrow?" The Black Swordsman asks me. I bite on my lower lip, staring at him. Is he asking what I think he's asking?

"It's just, I'm going up to floor 59 tomorrow, so you're welcome to come along too, so we could fight together. Since we're both solo players, so we don't have any commitments right now." Kirito scratches his head awkwardly. I consider my answer carefully. If I decide to go with him...well, it would be a good training experience, I'd have someone to watch my back, and plus it would make a brilliant story: fighting with Kirito. But on the other hand, I'm not used to having people around me, watching out for me, and anyway: I don't know that many people to merit a new story. There's plently that haven't heard yet (which goes to show my lack of sociability, doesn't it?).

"Okay." I agree finally. What's the harm?

"Great!" Kirito grins. He swipes in the air, and soon I get a party request appearing in front of me. "Only temporary." He explains. I pause for only a brief second before I hit the affirmative button.

We agree to meet by the 59th floor's teleporter gate, and Kirito dives off into the night. I smile slightly at his retreating figure.

.

"Mika, I hope you know what you're doing." Agil mutters darkly.

"Agil, it's only one party." I roll my eyes. "One battle. That's all. I probably won't even see him ever again after this."

"Mika, just be- careful." Agil warns, insisting that I listen to him, and take note of what he's saying. reluctantly, I pay attention. Agil's advice is usually useful and I always need to hear it. To make sure I'm aware of the consequences my may have actions. "You know what happened in your last guild."

"I know." I reply quietly. "How could I forget?"

Agil's silent for a moment before I speak up once more.

"And this is just a _party_, not a _guild_, Agil, so don't get your panties in a twist." I wink at him before walking out of the shop and towards the teleporter gate that will take me home.

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><p>Once I get to my home on the 53rd floor, I collapse on my bed, my head hitting the pillow with a thump. I close my eyes, pressing a hand to my fast paced heart. Somehow, this Kirito has gotten to me, and I think I want to see him again. Tommorrow seems too far away.<p>

_How can it beat so fast when this is a virtual world?_ I wonder, a slight breeze wafting in through the open window, drifting across my skin like a gentle caress. _When all it is is a stream of data stored in some servers?_

_If this is a virtual world, why does everything feel so damn real?_

My house is on the 53rd floor. It's not big and fancy, but it's enough for me. Simple, with only a few rooms, it serves me fine. I don't need a huge property like others. Because it will only ever be me living here.

It took me a while to understand that I wasn't real anymore, but that death still was. That if this body, this virtual body, was hurt, my real body would be fine. But if this data constructed avatar was to die, my real body would die. The nerve gear on my head would send a signal to my brain, frying it like an egg. It just didn't seem possible. That if I died in this make believe world, I would actually die.

I didn't know if I could fight in the first week of being trapped in SAO. Could I risk dying? Never getting back to reality? And what if it was a lie? What if death was the only way to escape?

But I refused to give in. I would not kill myself. I would not sit back and idiot wait for others to die for me, to fight for me. I would free myself from this death game. I would get back to reality - on my own.

I swipe down with my two fingers, and change my clothes while still lying down. My clothes evaporate and my new ones ripple on, leaving me with a slight tingle running through my virtual polygon cells, leaving me in a comfortable long sleeved shirt and loose trousers. Then I roll over, pull the thick sheets over my thin body and settle down for sleep. My eyes drift slowly, my breathing evens out until it's regular, and then I'm off into my dreams.

(Because yes: even reconstructed data in the form of an avatar can dream).


	2. Chapter 2: The Black Swordsman

**Hey! Thanks so much for the review, the follows and the favourites so far! So kind!**

**The next chapter will be up next Sunday!**

_**In response to my guest reviewer 'emma': Asuna will be appearing soon, so don't worry. Also, I'm Kirisuna all the way so, although Mikia and him may have some chemistry, her ultimate partner will be revealed as another character in SAO. **_

**Anyway, this is the next chapter. I hope you all enjoy it, and pretty please leave a review!**

_**Disclaimer: I don't own SAO, only my OC Mikia.**_

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><p><span><strong>Chapter Two: The Black Swordsman<strong>

I wake up quite suddenly, sitting up straight in my bed. A cold sweat covers my body, and not for the first time I wonder about how thorough this virtual world is.

I look around my room, seeing a soft yellow light filter in through the open window, spilling onto the mahogany, the pale white translucent curtains slowly blowing in a faint wind. I run a hand through my hair, breathing in and out slowly, until my heartbeat slows.

I swing my legs out of the bed, my feet hitting the ground with a thump. The wood feels smooth and cold under my bare feet, and I clear my throat, swallowing drily.

Today is a new day. It is also the day that I meet up with Kirito the Beater, to test out my new sword.

I get to my feet, and change my clothes with a swipe of my fingers, putting on my usual attire but I slip some armour on underneath, as I always do before a battle. I had it custom made, so it's thin enough to go under my clothes but thick enough to protect me. It was a expensive, yet worthwhile purchase, since it has saved me many times over.

I stare in the mirror as I manifest my clothes around me. Am I nervous about today? Definitely. This is Kirito the Black Swordsman we're talking about! He's an actual legend, whereas I'm just a girl (a powerful one, but not as powerful as him) playing her second ever online game. He's a legend. I'm not.

_Come on, Mikia!_ I scold myself, tousling up my pale pink hair. _You're strong. Very strong. You can keep up with him, for sure._

I swallow again, and head out of my apartment.

Instead of going straight to the teleport gate, I pick up something for breakfast. Even though we're in a digital world, our avatars still get very hungry and sleepy if we don't keep ourselves fed and rested. Just like in real life.

I chew on the loaf of bread, tearing it apart with my fingers before popping the pieces in my mouth. I step up to the teleport gate.

"Teleport: Danac!" I say in a strong confident voice, and then I feel the usual tingle as my data cells are transported from the 53rd floor to the 59th.

I materialise in a flash of blue light and step off the platform easily. I look around to see Kirito's not here yet. I shrug and lean back against the gate, waiting. The sun is bright in the blue sky, shining down on me and warming my body. I shake my head slightly, wondering how the SAO server replicates the actual world so realistically, even down to the feeling of the sun against my skin. It's remarkable, yet it also makes me forget that there is a real world out there that one day I need to return to. That there's a world out there I haven't experienced to it's entirety yet. I blink, clearing the thoughts out of my head and focus on pulling apart the loaf of bread still half eaten in my hands.

Most of the food here in SAO is generic and boring. Tasteless. The higher your food's rating is, the more tasty it'll be. The tastiest being a

S-Class item, but they are rare as anything. I didn't even know anyone who has even seen a S-Class ingredient, let alone tasted one. I chomp on the bread slowly, swallowing it and savouring the flavours. The bread is dry and made of some sort of brown wheat, but it's probably my favourite of all the breads currently found in Aincrad, this floating castle. Floor 1's is plain and disgusting, but floor 53's is delicious (well, as delicious as bread can actually be).

I'm swallowing the last bite when I hear the gate shimmer behind me. I turn my head around, the breeze wafting my short hair gently, to see Kirito standing there, in his usual black garb. He smiles easily when she sees me, walking over to me.

"Mikia-san." He greets me. "Or could I just call you Mikia?"

"Mikia's fine." I smile politely at him, nerves running through my body like live electric wires.

"Ready to hit the dungeons, Mikia?" Kirito grins enthusiastically at the prospect of killing some dungeon creatures. I nod.

"Lead the way." I tell him.

"Oh, you can just call me Kirito, if you want." He says casually as we start to walk, me falling into step beside him. He's not that much taller than me, at maybe 5"6? His face is strangely girly, and I wonder how old he is: in real life I mean. Since our avatars are the exact copy of our real bodies, he looks like he could be anywhere from 14 to 15, but he acts like he's at least 17. I'd ask, but it's considered rude to ask about someone's real life here in the game. You can only ask if they bring it up, and are willing to talk.

"Okay, Kirito." I test his name out, liking how it rolls off my tongue. He grins goofily at me.

"Weather's nice today." Kirito comments. "It's almost a shame to have to go into the dungeons."

"Yeah." I agree. "This is Aincrad's best season."

"It is, isn't it." He nods. "Not many people can appreciate the weather here, but as I think, we're living here, aren't we? So why not enjoy our time here as much as we can?"

"You're quite weird, aren't you?" I say without thinking. As soon as the words are out of my mouth, I freeze. What if I offended the guy? _Nice going, Mikia, you've known him less than 24 hours and already you've said something insulting. This is why people don't like you._

But, to my relief, Kirito throws his head back and laughs. He reaches out with one gloved hand (the gloves are black and fingerless) and ruffles my already messy hair. I flush slightly.

"You're funny, Mikia." He tells me, his black eyes gazing at me seriously. "I like that. Not enough people in this game can live enough to be happy."

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><p>"Take that!" I yell loudly as I slash down with my new sword, <em>*Silver Light*,<em> cutting the creature down the middle. The pixels go red as it screeches before it crumples in on itself. I turn to face Kirito, grinning widely.

"I love this sword." I tell him. Kirito finishes off his own creature and smiles back.

"That's good, Mikia." He says. "Having a good sword you can trust is how you survive. Like my one, *_Elucidator_*. I know that I can use it, and it'll obey me perfectly."

"You have a thing for black." I inform him as the next enemies spawn. They are wolf like creatures, with fierce red eyes and long black talons, their fur a dark grey. I get ready to kill them.

"I do." Kirito agrees as he stabs a creature using a sword skill. It flashes bright blue, and the creature growls. I charge at another wolf, who practically screams at me with it's howl, and use one of my sword skills to slice at it. My sword whistles through the air, cutting through it like a warm knife to butter, and cuts down it's body. I roll away from the wolf, avoiding its scratching, and swipe my sword back at it, cutting down the side of it's neck. I notice that it's HP drops to halfway down, entering the amber zone.

_Only a few more attacks, Mikia._ I tell myself grimly as I get ready to attack once more.

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><p>"So how did you meet Agil?" Kirito asks me, leaning back in his chair casually. After our dungeon fighting earlier, he suggested we go for some food, using the Col we had earned from our battles. My stomach had chosen that moment to growl loudly, to Kirito's amusement, so we had gone for food in a local NPC run restaurant.<p>

"Agil? I met him a few months ago." I reply, twirling my fork expertly between my fingers. This game's been going for at least a year now, and I'd met Agil probably around 6 months ago, although it felt like longer. "Well, more like 6." I correct. Kirito's black eyes regard me calmly as he waits for me to go on. Nervously (why am I nervous? Because of him?), I tuck a strand of my hair behind my ear.

"I was running in the woods, not really looking where I was going." I admit. "Too busy trying to outrun these mob monsters, so I could heal up and charge them again. Agil was in the area, and he helped me. Saved my butt, actually."

"So you became friends?" He asks, running a hand through his unkempt black hair. I lick my lips, moistening them (who'd if thought it, virtual data get dry lips too!). Maybe the humidity is wrong in this restaurant, but I'm feeling rather hot in here.

"Yeah, he's actually one of the only people I have on my friend list." I laugh as the food is brought over, and stab a piece of it on my fork. I chew on it quickly, swallowing it just as quickly, not really savouring the taste this time. I take a sip of water, my throat feeling suddenly dry for some reason. I try not to think about how pathetic it is that Agil's my one of my only friends. Luckily, Kirito doesn't notice, or if he does, he doesn't comment on it.

"Agil's a good guy." Kirito agrees with me as he starts to consume his food hungrily. I raise an eyebrow as he savages it like an animal. Maybe he's hungrier than he made out, because I hope that this is not his usual way of eating.

"He's massive though." I point out, humour tinting my voice. Kirito nods.

"Massive. I feel dwarfed by him. He's like an ape or something. Strong and gigantic." He grins. "But I can imagine you feel absolutely smothered by him."

"Why? 'Cause I'm short?" I place my hands on my hips, giving him my best affronted look. Kirito can't help but laugh at my expression. He clutches at his sides, cracking up as I stare at him like he's gone crazy. Because maybe he has.

"I'm sorry." He apologises once he's recovered. "It's just, you're so small yet so feisty."

"Well, you're no giant yourself!" I tease back, accepting his apology instantly. My eyes sparkle mischievously.

"Yeah, it's a very annoying aspect of my avatar." Kirito sighs. "5'6."

"Better than 5'2." I point out, munching on a nice of salad. "And thanks to the brilliant sensory immersers in this damn game, I have permanent neck ache from looking up at everyone!"

"I bet Agil's like 6'9." He laughs, spooning some of his food into his mouth, chewing on it and swallowing it quickly. He washes it down with a mouthful of water.

"More like 7 foot." I mutter darkly. "Why some other people are blessed with height and I'm not, I'll never know."

My comment sends Kirito into another fit of laughter. This time, he falls off his chair because he laughs so hard.

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><p>We both decide to stay in the inn on floor 59, since we can't be bothered to travel all the way back to our respective floors. Kirito insists on walking me to my door, like a true gentleman.<p>

"Good night, Mikia." He says softly once we get to my room for the night, his eyes dark and staring straight into mine. My heart beat quickens in my virtual chest, until I think it might thump all the way out.

"Good night, Kirito." I say, my voice slightly breathy. My mouth feels dry again, like I've gone without water for too long.

"Wanna meet up for breakfast in the morning?" He asks, grinning what I take to be his trademark smile, since he smiles it all the time.

"Sure." I agree, my lips twitching up into a slight smile, stepping backwards into my room, so my feet are now in the threshold and he's outside in the corridor. "Have a nice sleep, Kirito."

"Sweet dreams, Mikia." He replies before I shut the door softly and he walks away, his boots clicking ever so gently against the wooden floor of the corridor.


	3. Chapter 3: Talks

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**I hope you enjoy this chapter, and please review at the end. I'd like to hear your thoughts.**

_**(To the Guest reviewer: I'm glad you like the story, and I can promise that there will be plenty of Kirito/Mikia romance. I hope you like this chapter!)**_

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><p><span><strong>Chapter Three: Talks<strong>

"So, have you ever met Asuna?" Kirito asks me as he munches on his breakfast. As agreed the night before, we have met up for breakfast at the NPC restaurant. Like with the dinner from last night, the food is surprisingly tasty. Then again, this isn't floor one. It's floor 59.

"Asuna The Flash?" I raise an eyebrow as I butter a piece of bread. "As in, the legendary vice commander of the Knights of Blood?"  
>"Yep, that's Asuna." He nods. "Although I don't know if she'd like being called legendary."<br>"Then she shouldn't be legendary." I remark calmly. Kirito snorts.

"If she ever heard you say that..." He mutters, a smile tugging on his lips. I can't help but smile back.  
>"I've seen her in boss battles, pretty much like with you." I answer his question finally and then tear of a bite of the bread with my teeth. "Why do you ask?"<br>Kirito shrugs, leaning back in his chair. He looks so comfortable and relaxed, I'm starting to forget that this isn't the real world. Kirito looks at home here in this world, as if he's decided to make the best out of these terrible times, but I don't know how he can do that. Then again, he is a really weird guy.

"I'm just curious about you, Mikia. A player who solos on the front line...it's weird." He shakes his head, pondering his question.  
>"I'm not a Beater, if that's what you're asking." My tone is sharper than I intend, revealing my true stance of people like him: the cheating beta testers. I wince almost immediately, regretting my words. Just because I, like most of the population of SAO, hate Beaters doesn't mean I have to tell an actual Beater that. Especially since he's been so nice and friendly to me, because then I'm a complete jerk.<p>

"I didn't think you were." Kirito seems not to have taken offence to my words, but who knows? Maybe he's hiding his hurt from me. "Beta testers have a certain air about them, which you don't have, no offence." His dark black eyes stare at me, scrutinising me, until I start to feel uncomfortable. I shift in my seat awkwardly; but Kirito takes no notice of my discomfort. Those black, unreadable eyes remain fixed, as they attempt to stare into my very (virtual) soul.

"No, what I meant was that you look like you should belong to a guild." He clarifies, his gaze softening so he's no longer boring his eyes into my soul. My relief, though, is short lived when I hear exactly what Kirito just said.

My fingers dig into the table suddenly, until the knuckles on my hands turn white. I try and keep my breathing even, my heartbeat at a normal pace. You look like you should belong to a guild. His words echo around my head, taunting me. Because I should belong to a guild. I did belong to a guild.  
>But then...<p>

"So, why haven't you joined a guild?"  
>Kirito's words shake me out of my thoughts. I lock them back up in a vault in my head, not to be thought of again. I can't live in the past. I must live in the future.<br>"I haven't, because I'm a Beater and I work best alone. However, most people like you would feel safer in a guild." He continues, seemingly oblivious to my inner turmoil. "But what's your story?"

You did this, Mikia.  
>Mika! Help me!<br>This was your fault, Mikia.  
>Mika! Please!<br>Your fault.  
>Mika!<p>

I shake my head, breathing in deeply. Compartmentalise, Mikia. I tell myself firmly. Deal with those memories later. Concentrate on answering Kirito now.  
>"I never found one I liked enough to ask to join." I reply, my voice casual even though I'm feeling anything but relaxed.<br>Agil was right. I think. I need to be careful. I need to think about what I'm doing. Or I'm going to end up getting hurt - again.

"Well, guilds need to suit you in order for you to fight well together." Kirito agrees. "There's no point joining a guild you don't like, because then you won't fight as seamlessly. Its pointless then, because that'll lead to your death. And as you know, if your HP runs out here in SAO...you die in real life too."  
>"You lecture people a lot, don't you?" I observe. "You give a lot of speeches about how we should really live our lives here in Aincrad."<br>Kirito nods, abashed.

"I've been told several times that if I keep doing it, they'll stuff a frog in my mouth." He informs me, his comment managing to get a giggle out of me. He grins widely, apparently pleased that he's made me smile.

"Anyway, Mikia, can I add you to my friends list?" Kirito asks after a moment of silence. He smiles tentatively at me, as he's unsure to how I might react to his question. "Since this was meant to be just a one day thing, but I might need to contact you again." He smiles, almost shyly.

My heart sinks as I realise that yes, this is one time thing, and that this will probably never happen again. But even still, I accept his request.

I don't know why, but I don't want Kirito to walk out of my life and return to just being the mysterious Black Swordsman I see in boss battles. And while yes, somehow he makes every cell in my virtual body shimmer and tingle, it's not because I'm in love with him or anything. But how Kirito sees the world, it gives me hope that one day, we might be able to escape this world. And maybe I'll actually want to escape this obscure reality if he stays a permanent part of my life. It's all very confusing, but all so very real. I want to grab hold of the ideas he creates with both hands, and never let go.

"Maybe we could meet up again?" I suggest, surprising myself. "To team up, I mean. Try and level up a few more times before the next boss battle?" My heart beats faster as I speak. I lick my lips, which are suddenly very dry.  
>"I hoped you might want to." He admits. "I'm going to be busy for a few days, but how about I message you when I can?"<br>"Sure." I get to my feet, instinct and habit leading me to brush the non existent crumbs off my skirt. "You have me on your friends list, after all."

"I'm glad you two got along." Agil's deep voice rumbles inside his chest as he smiles slightly at me. I lean my back against the front of his counter, gazing around at the shop as we talk, the heels of my palms digging into the smooth wooden edge of the counter. His shop has closed for the night, but I decided to keep him company as he closes up, taking the inventory for the day, so I can discuss my time with Kirito.

"So am I. And it's kind of a relief to get another friend on my list." I tell him. Even though I know that Agil's probably way older than me, he's still my closest friend.  
>"And you're doing okay?" He asks, his tone concerned, dropping his voice down low as he catalogues an item he's bought to sell on.<br>"Of course not." I answer simply. "It brought back some memories, but I'm fine now. I swear." I add on as I catch Agil shooting me a disbelieving look.  
>"Mika." He says in a warning tone. "Remember, it wasn't you're fault."<p>

"I know, Agil. So, are you going to participate in the next boss battle?" I quickly change the topic. Agil's cool eyes regarding me tell me he noticed the swift switch, but he doesn't comment on it. Maybe he's giving me a break, so I don't have to think about it. I was only 4 months ago, after all.  
>"Depends." Agil shrugs. "Of they have enough players that they're confident, I'll stay here. If they need more, I'm there. You?"<br>"Participating." I respond, widening my eyes slightly.

"Naturally." Agil nods. "You, missing out on a chance to fight? That'll be the day."  
>I smile at Agil's comment. Some players might call me fight obsessed, but they don't understand that I fight to free them. In the beginning, I levelled up like crazy, taking risks just to get a high enough level. That's how SAO works: high enough numbers will make you invincible.<br>That system is highly unfair.

But if you can fight, it can work in your favour. It can let you survive. It can let you live in the virtual world, instead of being cut down like a weed. It can make you untouchable.

But no one's ever really untouchable, are they?

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><p><strong>Thoughts?<strong>


	4. Chapter 4: Fighting Over Dinner

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><p><strong>Chapter Four: Fighting Over Dinner<strong>

"We're out numbered!" A tall, red haired man yells to his guild, who surround him.  
>"Fuck!" One member of his guild swears, his hands gripping his weapon to stop himself from shaking so much. The man can't help but agree with his team mate. 'Fuck' just about covers their current situation.<br>The monsters, which resemble huge lizard men, hiss at them, swinging their huge axe like blades. The man breathes heavily, glancing up at his HP bar. Half full, he thinks. Bad news. Another glance tell him that his other guild members are suffering the same fate.  
><em>Shit.<em> The man swears. Is this how it will end for him? Cut down like a weed, to die alone and with no one to remember him? For his guild to perish in the same way?  
>He grits his teeth. He can not let that happen.<br>But it looks like he has no choice but to fight until the bitter end.

And then one of the lizard men crumples into a head of blue light. And behind that light...stands a pink haired girl, her sword extended out at her side, and a small smile on her face.

I slash out with my sword, and a critter dies in front of me. I breathe in heavily, my chest heaving with the exertion. Because even in a virtual world, the physical fighting takes a toll on our bodies just as it would in real life. If I didn't despise him with every breath in my body, I'd send Kayaba a basket of muffins congratulating him on the software. It's extremely realistic.

I fumble around in my crystal and potion pouch, and pull out a healing potion. It replenishes the little HP I lost during my battle. The bar that hovers underneath my name fills back up to the top. The solid green colour reassures me that I'm still alive. I'm currently on floor 66, doing some levelling up and mapping more dungeon for our eventual boss battle.

I round the corner of the dungeon, ready to take on my next opponent, but I end up seeing a group of people gathered there. A guild, I presume. Or they could be a party, but these players look like they've been together for a while, and like they're friends. So I'm going to stay with my original assumption that they're a guild.  
>They're backed into a corner by a semi circle of looming and huge lizard men type monsters. They hiss at the guild, whom I see their HP is only half full. The guild members breathe heavily, sweating as they raise their weapons to fight again. They all look exhausted.<br>_Shit_. I curse. _That guild could get wiped out any second..._

I don't really think about what I'm going to do. I just act, impulsively, to save these people. Because here, in SAO, death is real, and I can't let these people die on my watch. Not again.  
>"Hyaahh!" I charge at the lizard men, readying my sword, which glows a bright lilac as I activate a sword skill. I push off from one foot and jump, slashing my sword down as I do so. The lizard creature screams before exploding into a hundred million little blue hexagons. I land, a smile working it's way onto my lips as I've defeated one of the monsters. I pant for breath, a bead of sweat running down my forehead. A red haired guy stands in front of me, staring in shock at the blue hexagons. He glances at me, his eyes looking at me incredulously. Probably because I'm some short, pink haired girl who's just managed to start to save their asses. But I don't have any time to introduce myself. Instead I focus on taking out the remaining lizard men.<br>I activate another sword skill, a 5 combo hit. My target screeches, turning around to face me. It's pointed tongue flicks at me.  
>I raise an eyebrow at it.<br>"Come on then, little lizard." I murmur to it, keeping my eyes fixed on it. My hand tightens on *Silver Light* (this new sword of mine has already saved me with it's impressive stats many times already), and I bring the sword up, and it leaves an arch of lilac light in the air as I swoop it down, across the creature's chest. A bright red line appears, separating the digital flesh of the creature. I finish it off quickly, bringing my sword up and slashing the sharp blade across the creature's neck, separating it. The monster implodes, and I move quickly to take care of the others. They follow suit, all disintegrating easily.

Then I turn to look at the guild I saved.

They are all men, which is common is SAO, as most of the population are guys. The red haired man from earlier steps forward, a bandana tied around his head. His eyes blink rapidly at me, possibly confirming the fact that I'm a girl. I sheath my sword across my back and check my HP. Still full.  
>"You're welcome." I say simply. The man, who is presume is the leader, considering he stepped forward, smiles at me.<br>"Thank you, miss." He says. I realise that our sentences are the wrong way round: traditionally, you say 'you're welcome' after they thank you. "You really helped us out of that there."  
>"It was no problem." I make a move as if to leave, but the red haired guy stops me by clearing his throat.<br>"Err, my name's Klein. I'm very grateful for you saving me, and I'm also single-" One of his friends elbows him in the gut, shutting him up mid sentence. I frown. Was he hitting on me? It felt like he was hitting on me. Oh god, he was hitting on me!  
>I notice his guild members roll their eyes as they drink healing potions, so I assume he hits on girls a lot then. But since my gender is so rare in SAO, do I blame him?<br>Yes. I totally blame him.

Being a girl, and a solo player at that, I've had lots of offers from guys. All of them I've denied. Call me a hopeless sop, but I believe in romance. The kind that sweeps you off your feet, and makes you feel butterflies in your stomach even days afterwards. So even if this is a virtual reality, I'm not just going to let a guy protect me, just for a touch of human contact. Even if I crave company.  
>"Err, anyway, I'm Klein." He clears his throat, smiling sheepishly at me. I regard him with a level expression. "Can I know the name of my saviour?" The man - Klein - asks. I tilt my head to one side. The guy looks young, maybe in his early twenties by the look of his face. A light stubble covers his chin and his overall expression is that of a joker. I note that his chosen weapon is a katana.<br>"Maybe." I raise one eyebrow. "I don't tend to just tell random players my name, you know." My eyelashes scrap my cheekbones as I glance down and back up again, trying to appear mysterious. Because I'm definitely (but unconsciously, of course) flirting back with this guy.  
>"I'll make you a deal." He barters, running a hand through his hair. "I'll buy you dinner, to thank you for saving me and my guild. In return, you tell me your name?" His lips twitch up hopefully. "I'll even buy you dessert."<br>I consider my answer carefully. On one hand, harmless flirting might be good for me. To relax before the next big boss battle. But one the other hand, do I really want to have dinner with this guy who I literally just met?  
>"I hear this floor makes a great cheesecake." I say as my answer. Klein grins widely.<br>"Great!" He enthuses as his guild looks on in disbelief.  
>"I'll walk out with you guys, make sure you don't get killed on your way out." I tell him, and then I start to walk off, my hand ready to pull my sword out and battle.<p>

I sit down at the table, and Klein takes his seat opposite me. We order some food, the NPC waiter taking the order seamlessly.  
>"Do I get to know your name yet?" Klein asks with a cheeky sparkle dancing in his eyes. My lips curve up into a smile. Somehow, his shameless flirting is charming me.<br>"I'm Mika." I introduce myself, holding out a hand. He shakes it gently. I don't know why I tell him to call me by my nickname: I only really let Agil call me that now. But now the name's out of my mouth, there's no way to get it back. So I decide just to go with it.  
>"Thank you again, Mika-san." He says sincerely.<br>"Just call me Mika." I tell him. "It's easier, and you've already said I should disband with your proper honorifics."  
>"Okay, Mika." He agrees. "So, how did you get to be that good? You took down those lizard men like they were simple frenzy boars!"<br>I shrug, my fingers absentmindedly tracing patterns on the wooden table.  
>"I just am, I guess." I tell him. "I train like crazy, level up like crazy, and I become crazy good."<br>"Well, your skills are amazing." He smiles tentatively.  
>"So, you're a guild leader?" I change the subject from me, and on to him. Klein nods.<br>"Yep." He goes on to talk about how everyone in his guild are his friends in the real world, and I listen. Something about Klein makes my heart beat fast, but it's nothing compared to how it thunders around Kirito. Not that I'm comparing the two guys, but...  
>"Mika." Klein's voice snaps me out of my thoughts. I blink, and look up at him.<br>"Yes?"  
>"Penny for your thoughts?" He asks in a deep, low voice that makes my spine shiver. I take a breath of air, and shake my head lightly, trying to smile.<br>"Oh, nothing really. Just thinking about the next boss battle." I lie smoothly.  
>"You fight in the boss battles?" He asks, his tone surprised. I nod.<br>"Solo player." I explain.  
>"I'm one of the clearer guilds, you see." Klein explains his confusion. "And I think I would of remembered seeing someone like you."<br>"I usually take a back seat." I glance down at the table. "Let others take out the boss. Actually, the last time I actually had a main role was back on floor 14." I laugh lightly to myself. "And I haven't always played on the front lines."  
>"Really?" He arches an eyebrow. Why the hell did you go and say that, Mikia? I berate myself.<br>"I didn't really do boss battles for the first 6 floors." I shrug casually. "Then I decided that I had to help free us all."  
>"Noble reason." He nods, seemingly accepting my response. I breathe out a sigh of relief.<p>

My secret is safe a little longer.


End file.
